


Time Stops

by Hellokaelyn



Category: NCIS
Genre: Episode Tag: s16e13 She, F/M, Post-Episode: s16e13 She
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 09:36:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17846945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellokaelyn/pseuds/Hellokaelyn
Summary: When Ellie doesn't come to the surface, Nick reacts.





	Time Stops

**Author's Note:**

> For the Anon on Tumblr who requested it.

Time seemed to stop.

His mind went blank except for one thing.

_ Ellie.  _

Fear filled his entire being.

“Ellie!” He shouted. “Ellie!”

He seen movement in the lake and reacted, he ran. 

Gibbs and McGee shouted his name but he didn't hear a thing. His entire focus was on the woman who slowly but surely melted the walls he built up around his heart. 

Nick dived in. 

Gibbs’ shout of ‘Torres!’ that had a tone of worry was the last thing he heard. 

* * *

Both Gibbs and McGee were seconds from jumping in the lake themselves when Nick came swimming to the surface,  _ somehow _ with both an unconscious Morgan and Ellie.

They ran over, Gibbs not even thinking about it as he did CPR on Morgan while Nick did it for Ellie, McGee ran back to the road to direct the ambulance to them when it came. 

“Come on Ellie!” Nick panted out, tears filling his eyes. 

He couldn't lose her. He  _ couldn't _ .

“Please Ellie please!”

When water came out of her mouth with a gasp soon after, Nick let some of the tears fall. He heard Morgan do the same behind him seconds after and was glad, but his eyes didn't move from Ellie.

“Nick-” She gasped out. Nick swallowed and smoothed her wet hair out of her face, his shaking hand lingering on her cheek. “M-Morgan?”

“She's okay.” He told her. “You did good babe..you did good.”

“I told you not to call me that.” She whispered roughly, Nick wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back to keep her warm. 

Nick laughed a little shakily. “You love it.”

Her lips lifted a little as she put all her weight against him. Nick pressed his face to her wet hair.

Gibbs kept his focus on Morgan but that didn't stop him from also paying attention to his two agents. He thought back to Ellie fighting with him, he had his agents fight with him before but this time it was different. But she was right he'd admit now about rule 10, and he had realized slowly while watching his two young agents that possibly he had been wrong about rule 12 too. 

Rules  _ were _ meant to be broken after all. 

* * *

“I'm fine Nick.” Ellie said for what seemed like the millionth time a day later as Nick put away food he bought for her in her fridge. “I can go buy my own food.”

He shrugged. “Not like I have anything better to do.”

She narrowed her eyes. While he had been practically glued to her side since he pulled her out of the lake, he barely looked at her and his touches that she had become used to barely happened.

Ellie walked behind him and grabbed his arm, turning him to look at her. “Nick.”

His eyes slowly met hers. “I should put the rest of the-”

“Forget the food.” Wow she never thought she'd say those words. “Talk to me, why are you acting like I'm going to disappear but won't even look at me for more than five seconds.”

Nick let out a breath and ran a hand down his face. It was then she noticed how tired he looked, she was pretty sure he hadn't slept at all now that she thought about it. He had taken to sleeping on her couch but she hadn't ever seen him  _ sleeping _ . 

“I- I almost lost you Ellie.”

“Nick-”

“No!” He rubbed at his eyes. “You don't understand Ellie! You weren't  _ breathing _ !”

Nick shouted the last word, his voice cracking with a painful look on his face. Ellie felt her heart break at the look on his face. 

“You weren't breathing.” He said again but softly, in almost a whisper. 

Her eyes were watery as she grabbed his hand, placing it over her heart with her hand on his.

“I'm here Nick, and as long as I can help it, I'm not going anywhere for a long time.”

Nick put his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. “Ellie..”

Biting her lip for a second as she made a split second choice. Taking advantage of his closed eyes, she pressed her lips to his.

She could feel his surprised movement but it only lasted a second before he kissed her back.

“Stay tonight-” She whispered when they pulled away. “With me, in my bed.”

Nick nodded before kissing her once more. Ellie's eyes fluttered shut. 

Time seemed to stop for her as she sunk into him.

Her mind went blank except for one thing.

_ Nick _ .


End file.
